Burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic among nurses in Taiwan: the parental role effect on burnout

• Published in: BMC health services research Vol. 24; no. 1; pp. 703 - 9
• Main Authors: Chen, Yong-Hsin, Saffari, Mohsen, Lin, Chung-Ying, Tang, Hsiu-Mei, Yang, Ching-wen, Lee, Chiu-Hsian, Wang, Wei-Yao, Jong, Gwo-Ping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 04.06.2024; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Adult; Burnout; Burnout, Professional - epidemiology; Burnout, Professional - psychology; Chronic illnesses; Client burnout; COVID-19; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dependent variables; Discriminant analysis; Environmental engineering; Families & family life; Family; Female; Habits; Health Administration; Health Informatics; Hospitals; Humans; Hypotheses; Independent variables; Leisure; Leisure activity; Male; Mediation; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Mental health; Middle Aged; Nurses; Nursing; Nursing Research; Nursing Staff, Hospital - psychology; Pandemics; Parent and child; Parental role; Parenting; Parents & parenting; Parents - psychology; Patient safety; Public Health; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Risk Factors; SARS-CoV-2; Stress; Surveys; Surveys and Questionnaires; Taiwan - epidemiology; Taiwan; Denmark; Parental role; Leisure activity; Nurses; Client burnout
• ISSN: 1472-6963; 1472-6963
• DOI: 10.1186/s12913-024-11159-w

Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, medical workers were concerned about the care of their children or family members and the impact of being separated from them. This increased stress could harm the relationship between nurses and patients. This study assessed how medical workers’ parental role may affect burnout during such a high-stress period. Methods This cross-sectional observational study was carried out in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The client burnout (CB) scale of the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire, and a demographic questionnaire were used. Statistical methods such as the t-test, one-way ANOVA, and univariable/multiple linear regression were applied. Results A total of 612 nurses were included in this study. The likely risk factors of CB were identified and the parenthood effect was found to be associated with reduced CB. The parental role and leisure activity with family and friends on CB were found to have an impact. Engaging in leisure activity with family and playing the role of a parent diligently will help relieve nurses’ burnout from frequent contact with patients and their families, thus lowering the risk of clinical burnout. Conclusion The parental role, family/friends relationships, and a complex work environment associated with nurses’ burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. This finding allows us to re-examine the importance of family life and parent–child relationships in high-stress work environments.